Disclaimer: Temari and Gaara belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I only wish I could have created characters with the potential for such depth.

Warnings: NONE!! OMFG!!! Am I on drugs??

Author Note: Holy crap!! It's only rated "T"!! And that's just to be safe. I almost feel…dirty and ashamed.

The bulk of this story was written a couple of years ago, around the time when Ichibi was removed from Gaara in the manga, so the timeline in this does not match with canon. Sue me. Hinting of Temari x Shikamaru. Goodness I love that pairing.

Temari and Gaara is a relationship that I have yet to explore before this, so I would love to hear any feedback one might offer on the representation I gave them. Thanks much in advance. Please enjoy my humble offering and feel [strike]obligated I mean[/strike] free to comment on the job I have done with them with this. And as always, feedback on the actual writing is appreciated. There are some parts in this that still bother me, but I've read it and made alterations quite a few times and it's not really changing too significantly…so I guess it's tentatively complete. I also may add another chapter of Temari and Shikamaru for fun…if I feel so compelled.

Love

It was almost sundown and Temari was supposed to be leaving shortly with the caravan to Konoha. She huffed gruffly as she closed the door to her little brother's empty office and headed back down the hall. She had checked his training area and his room, and he wasn't in his office either, so that only left one other place. She should have known to check there first. He had been spending more and more time there as of late.

She would have to hurry to get there, and she hoped that her guess was right, because she was to be gone for three weeks and wanted to say goodbye to him before she left.

It had been a lively day and they had both been very busy; her with preparation for departure and him with his everyday tasks as Kakzekage, but it still stung a little that Gaara knew she was to leave that evening and he had not at least come to see her to wish her well on her trip.

As she sped off to continue her search her thoughts absently played over time spent with Gaara since they had returned after his abduction. Though he seemed to be fully recovered physically, and had begun to appear healthier than she had ever seen him, she still felt a bit worried about his mental state. After Shuukaku was extracted the change in him was striking, almost even more so than after his encounter with Uzumaki Naruto.

As soon as they returned to Wind Country after the abduction, Gaara fell into a death-like sleep that lasted for nearly three days uninterrupted. She had worried terribly for him and would not leave his bedside unless it was absolutely necessary.

In his sleep one night he called out to her and his voice sounded terrified. She had never heard him like that before and it scared her.

It still scared her. Every time she remembered it the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

She had been so tired that night, and anxious from heavily pondering what she would do if Gaara never woke up. She was resting her eyes, leaning her head on the widow sill when she heard it.

"Temariiii!"

Temari gasped and shot up, spinning to attack whoever was threatening her baby brother.

No one was there, and for a split second she wondered if it was just a dream, but Gaara's eyes shot open and he gasped. He lurched forward, clutching his chest, and Temari instinctively dashed to console him.

"Gaara!"

He was panting hard and his eyes searched frantically around the room even though she was right there in front of him.

"Gaara," she cried, "It's alright! I'm right here! It was just a dream…" She hesitated to put her hands on him, but then recalled that he was no longer besieged by the sand demon and was slightly ashamed of her reaction toward her baby brother.

He flinched when her hands took his shoulders, but after a moment his breathing slowed and he relaxed a bit. Finally becoming coherent, his eyes found hers.

"Temari…" Gaara was drenched in sweat and trembling.

"It's alright," Temari assured him. "You were asleep." She pulled away, reached for a towel by the bed, and began wiping the sweat from his face and brow.

"I was…" His voice shook as he spoke. "Asleep…?"

"Yes…you fell asleep while we were traveling…it's been three days since…"

Gaara seemed to understand what she meant to say. "It's…" His eyes got wide and there was wonder in his voice. "Shuukaku is…"

"Yeah…" she assured him, "Shuukaku is gone…"

Gaara turned away and rubbed his eyes with his trembling hands. "Then…it wasn't a dream…"

"Nope…" Temari wanted badly to shed happy tears, but her shinobi instinct was to bite them back and remain subdued.

"I wasn't…dreaming…" Gaara turned back to her and his lips turned up in a slight smile for a moment, but then it appeared as though the reality of the situation finally, really hit him. The look on his face was haunting. "That means I'm…alone…"

"No Gaara," Temari assured him, pushing his damp hair back off of his forehead. "You're not alone. I'm right here with you…"


Gaara had since that day actually gotten quite close to his elder sister, and Temari was finally realizing just how much her baby brother really meant to her.

There was a short time after he fought Uzumaki Naruto when he had somewhat clung to Kankurou, but he had never been overly brotherly to her before now.

Her troubled heart calmed as she neared the cliff and saw the familiar shock of red hair under the Kazekage's white hat.

She had noticed him there quite a few times in recent days. It seemed he liked that spot because it overlooked the entire village and also provided an enchanting view of the moonrise.

She should have known to check there first.

He didn't turn as she hoisted herself up over the edge and approached him. "There you are, Gaara," she scolded. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Temari…" His dangling feet kicked absently as he gazed serenely into the red waxing moon.

Temari took a seat next to him and spoke chidingly, adjusting the fan on her back to accommodate her position. "I thought you'd at least find time to come and see me today. I guess you forgot."

"No…" Gaara's voice was calm and low, but there was a hint of sadness to it. "I didn't forget…I was going to watch you go from here."

Temari cocked her head and admonished him, "Why didn't you come and see me? I would have liked it, you know."

"I'm sorry…" Gaara promptly disarmed her with the apology.

Temari sighed and smiled. "It's alright. I'm not really mad…just late." She was supposed to meet the caravan at sundown.

"You didn't have to come here," Gaara replied, not turning.

"Yes I did," Temari countered, "I'll miss you while I'm gone."

Gaara smiled sadly. "I'll miss you too…"

Temari couldn't help but feel touched. He had never said something like that to her before. Almost unconsciously, she reached her arm around his shoulder and squeezed.

Gaara turned to her briefly, half startled, but quickly averted his eyes back to the rising moon. "You should be off or you'll get caught in the heat tomorrow…"

Temari tilted to rest her head on his shoulder. "I came all this way…I can stay a while…"

"Ah," he agreed, "If you want…"

He sounded troubled, but Temari didn't press him. She just wanted to spend a quiet moment with him before she had to go, so she stayed and spent it watching the orange moon as it crept up over the desert horizon before them. It really was an incredible view. She was entranced until Gaara broke the still silence.

"It was always the worst during the full moon…I'm not used to it yet…" Temari knew he meant the influence of the sand demon.

"I know, Gaara." It had only been a few cycles since Shuukaku had been extracted from him. Temari knew it had to be hard for Gaara to come to terms with even though he was clearly far better off without the poisonous entity sealed inside him.

It was so strange for him to be so bare and unguarded, but Temari thought she could get used to it. She squeezed him again to show her forgiveness, and they fell silent again for another long moment. She wrestled with herself to muster up the strength to find her legs and go, but his voice soon put all thoughts of leaving on hold once again.

"Temari…"

"Mmm?"

"That Konoha shinobi…do you love him?"

The inquiry gave Temari's heart a jolt and she shrank away from him. "What? Who?!"

"That guy…Nara…"

"Nara?!" The mention of his name made her face feel hot. "I…"

Gaara turned and addressed her in earnest. "You always seem eager to see him…"

"I…" Temari didn't know quite how to reply. She usually was happy to see him, but she didn't think she had let on about it. For Gaara to notice something like that…

Her face burned with embarrassment. "Yeah, I guess I like him…" a lot. "But he's…" still so young. "Something like that…" would never work. "It couldn't happen." They were from two entirely different worlds.

"Ah…" Gaara nodded. She thought he understood her point of view and would not press her further, but he did. "But…you could quit being a shinobi…"

Temari was shocked by the suggestion. "Gaara…where is this coming from all of a sudden?"

Gaara pulled away suddenly and got to his feet. He stared down at her, peering calmly into her eyes as he answered. "I think I finally understand how he felt…what he meant when he said those things to me…"

She knew he was talking about Uzumaki Naruto.

"While I was fighting with the Akatsuki," Gaara continued, "I was afraid."

The village had nearly been destroyed by Akatsuki Deidara and as Kazekage, Gaara had used all of his strength to protect them even at the cost of his life.

"I...kept thinking I couldn't lose no matter what…because…"

Everyone was counting on Gaara to win. She knew how much Gaara meant to the village, and how much the people of the village meant to Gaara.

"I had to save my family…" he continued, "I had to save you…Temari…"

Temari was taken aback. She wasn't expecting such an admission. Especially since she wasn't even in the village at the time it was attacked. But other instances where she may have misinterpreted Gaara's distance from her suddenly took on a whole new meaning. Maybe her little brother had distanced himself from her and pushed her away because he feared for her safety. Had he been dreaming of her death when he called out her name that night?

"Gaara…" She stood and threw her arms around Gaara and held him, and he returned the gesture. His face nuzzled in the crook of her neck and she breathed the dusty scent of his soft hair.

"Temari…" he pleaded, holding her with all his might, "Temari…I need to ask you something…" There was a hint of the fear she recalled from the night he awakened from his nightmare in his voice.

"What is it?"

He seemed terribly nervous, like he didn't know how to ask what he wanted to know, but finally he mustered up the courage and whispered, "Do you…love me?"

"Oh..." Temari's eyes started to water. "Gaara…" She did. With all her heart. She thought he understood that. With her hands planted firmly on his shoulders, she pushed him back to look him in the eyes. "Of course I do! Why would you even have to ask?"

It never even occurred to her that she had never told him, but there wasn't ever a time she could recall when she had ever said it before. But how could he not know? He was her little brother! How could he…? How could she never have told him?

She had always focused her efforts in remaining hard and dispassionate, fitting of her role as a shinobi…

Gaara suddenly averted his eyes, face tinted scarlet. "Will you...also…say it?" he asked.

"Of course," Temari pulled him back into a powerful embrace, "I love you, Gaara," she said. "With all my heart." In the moments that followed, her eyes shed years and years worth of pent up tears for her little brother.

Gaara drew in a long breath and let it out as he brought his hand up to clutch his heart, then lifted his head and opened his eyes. His beautiful, haunting eyes were watered, brimming over with joyful tears. "No one has ever said that to me before...Temari…" His voice shook as he whispered, "I love you too..."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Temari pulled him close once again and held him in her arms tightly, but all too soon a voice interrupted their moment of bonding. "Lady Temari," the messenger called, "Forgive me, but he caravan is prepared and awaiting you…"

Against her wishes, Temari pushed Gaara away and wiped her eyes. "Ah," she answered, not turning to acknowledge the messenger. "I was just leaving…"

"Yes," the messenger replied. "I'll inform the carivan that you will be arriving in good time."

"Please do," Temari ordered, reclaiming her hard exterior.

Gaara stepped back and once again turned to gaze into the orange glow of the moonlight. "Travel safely, sister." He commanded. "And return in good time."

Temari grinned and turned from her youngest sibling, making a cool posture. "I'll return safely to you Lord Gaara," she declared as she turned and started off.

"Be sure to tell Naruto that I said hello," Gaara called from behind. "And thank him again for his assistance."

Temari grinned. She was looking forward to carrying Gaara's message to the self proclaimed future Hokage of Hidden Leaf Village, and also to seeing a certain Leaf chuunin named Nara Shikamaru. But of course, she would never let on about that to anyone. Her affection for Shikamaru-kun was to remain her dirty little secret; at least for the time being. He still had a lot of growing up to do.

Foot Note: It occurs to me that not once did I mention Gaara's "love" mark on his forehead. Oh well, I assume that anyone reading this would already have a pretty good mental picture of him anyways. But yeah, thaks for reading!